My friends that live north east of Toronto had a Black and Yellow Spider in their tomato patch. They tried to tell me that it was a Black Widow spider. [img]/forums/images/icons/confused.gif[/img] Which is a poisonous spider. [img]/forums/images/icons/tongue.gif[/img] I believe that it is a common spider that will do no harm to a human being. [img]/forums/images/icons/wink.gif[/img] Any spider experts out there that a familiar with this spider. [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] I have attached a picture of it.
Adult black widow spiders have shiny, jet black, rounded, globular abdomens with two reddish or yellowish triangles on the underside which form a characteristic hourglass marking. Adult female northern widow spiders are shiny black or brown-black with two reddish triangles on the underside, resembling a split hourglass. These spiders are about 1/2-inch long, not including the legs (about 1-1/2 inches when legs are spread). Adult males are harmless, about half the female's size, with smaller bodies, longer legs and usually have yellow and red bands and spots over the back as do the immature stages. Newly hatched spiderlings are predominately white or yellowish-white, gradually acquiring more black and varying amounts of red and white with each molt. Juveniles of both sexes resemble the male and are harmless.
Not black widow, but we have a huge black and yellow spider here in Kentucky that I can't stand the looks of. Even it's web looks gruesome with a coarse zig-zag down the middle. My wife is petrified but I have to remain calm and appear uncaring [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img] Now everyone knows my deepest secret [img]/forums/images/icons/blush.gif[/img] Don't tell my wife [img]/forums/images/icons/wink.gif[/img]
We always called them Golden Orb Weavers - that's what my grandparents called them. They were everywhere in the fields, spinning between grasses. We used to run through the fields, then have to peel their webs off our legs.
My son just found one out back yesterday - I haven't seen any just 30 miles North of where I grew up. It's interesting how the buggies vary in a relative small change in latitude.
Mike
Thanks for the information. [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]
I saw another one of the same kind of spiders at the marina where I keep my boat. It was under a picnic table that we were sitting at. Scared the lady that was sitting next to it. [img]/forums/images/icons/shocked.gif[/img] One swipe with a stick and it was on the ground and squished with a size 12 boat shoe. [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]
That's what we call 'em here in TX. I have one outside with a web running from my magnlia tree to my potted cayenne peppers. Been there a month or better. I guess they have a pretty long life, maybe all summer. Last year I had one build a nest near an outide water faucet. I turned my water on one day in late summer or early fall and it was dead....left behind it's egg sack for a fresh batch of spiders for this year. I leave them alone and it makes me happy when I see an undesireble insect wrapped up in their web.
I’ve heard them called that here also.
The one I took the picture of is still in the tomato patch. [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]
There are so many spiders around the boats at the marina. [img]/forums/images/icons/tongue.gif[/img] That we keep brushing them off the boat to feed the Blue gills. [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]
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